Immigration Consultant and Associate Arrested for Marriage and Immigration Fraud

A suburban immigration consultant is among two defendants arrested the week of Friday, February 8, 2013, after being indicted for allegedly conspiring to arrange sham marriages to evade immigration laws and enable foreign nationals to illegally become U.S. permanent residents. The pair allegedly arranged at least four fraudulent marriages and attempted to arrange a fifth between a foreign national and an undercover special agent who was posing as a private U.S. citizen.

These charges resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and its partner agencies on the Chicago Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, which includes U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service's Fraud Detection and National Security Unit.

Teresita Zarrabian, 60, a naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Des Plaines, and Michael Smith, 41, a U.S. citizen residing in Bellwood, were charged in a seven-count indictment that was returned Jan. 31 and unsealed when they were arrested Thursday, February 7, 2013. They are each charged with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, marriage fraud and visa fraud. 

Zarrabian, the owner of Zarrabian and Associates, an immigration consulting business in Arlington Heights, was also charged with obstructing justice.

Zarrabian and Smith pleaded not guilty when they appeared Thursday, February 7, 2013, and Friday, February 8, 2013, respectively, in district court. They were released on their own recognizance.

"Marriage fraud is a serious crime that exploits our nation's immigration system and poses a vulnerability to our security," said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of HSI Chicago. "HSI will continue its efforts to identify and arrest individuals whose actions show a complete disregard for U.S. immigration laws, which undermines the legitimate immigration process."

According to the indictment, between 2005 and 2012, Zarrabian assisted foreign-born clients to complete the necessary forms to become U.S. permanent residents based on marriage to a U.S. citizen. Clients paid Zarrabian between $8,000 and $15,000 in exchange for arranging fraudulent marriages to U.S. citizens recruited by Zarrabian and Smith, the charges allege.
Foreign nationals who marry U.S. citizens legitimately may lawfully become U.S. permanent residents, but not if the marriage is a sham to evade immigration laws.

Zarrabian allegedly paid Smith a portion of the money she received from foreign-born clients for Smith's recruited U.S. citizen spouses. In turn, Zarrabian allegedly promised to pay about $5,000 to the U.S. citizen spouses for their participation in a sham marriage. Both defendants arranged to have individuals travel to Las Vegas for a fraudulent wedding and also took photos of the "couple" and other steps to create the false impression that the sham marriages were legitimate. Zarrabian also met with the couples and told them what actions they needed to take to make their marriages appear legitimate during marriage interviews with officials, according to the indictment.

The obstruction count alleges that Zarrabian attempted to persuade a U.S. citizen involved in a fraudulent marriage from communicating information to law enforcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Iweagwu, Northern District of Illinois, is prosecuting the case.

Conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and each count of marriage fraud carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Visa fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The obstruction count against Zarrabian carries a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Romanian Couple's US Citizenship Revoked for Marriage and Immigration Fraud

An Idaho couple, both from Romania, were sentenced Monday, January 14, 2013, to two years' probation, a $1,000 fine and revocation of their U.S. citizenship status for unlawful procurement of U.S. citizenship, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Ramona Alina Fenesan, 32, and Florin Fleisher, 34, formerly of Ketchum, pleaded guilty last fall to the charges. According to their plea agreements, Fenesan and Fleisher admitted to entering into fraudulent marriages in 2003 with U.S. citizens for the sole purpose of obtaining immigration benefits - namely U.S. citizenship.

Prosecutors say that once married, the defendants filed applications with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to obtain lawful permanent resident status and later naturalized based upon their marriages. Shortly after obtaining citizenship, Fenesan and Fleischer divorced their U.S. citizen spouses and married each other. At sentencing, defense counsel informed the court that as a result of the fraud and resulting convictions, the couple had lost their home and their jobs.

The two will now be taken into ICE custody and placed in removal proceedings. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho.

Marriage fraud - Immigration Lawyer Sentenced

January 15, 2010

Immigration attorney and associate sentenced on marriage fraud charges - Subjects will face removal to their home country

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A local immigration attorney and her associate were both sentenced on Friday to two years probation for illegally marrying U.S. citizens for the sole purpose of evading U.S. immigration laws. The convictions make them both eligible for deportation.
Carter M. Stewart, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Brian Moskowitz, special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Investigations in Detroit (ICE) announced the sentences handed down Jan. 15 by U.S. District Judge Gregory Frost.
Lilian Asante, 37, and her associate, Kwadwo Asante, 39 both pleaded guilty on Sept. 28, 2009 to one count of illegally marrying to evade immigration laws. Kwadwo Asante admitted to marrying a U.S. citizen from Youngstown, Ohio, in a civil ceremony in Franklin County in January 2005. Lilian Asante admitted marrying a U.S. citizen from Florida in a civil ceremony in Franklin County in February 2006. Each defendant admitted that they illegally married the U.S. citizens as part of their plan to obtain U.S. permanent residence status.
Based on these felony convictions, both were immediately entered in to deportation proceedings. They both elected to a stipulated order of removal, which effectively waives their right to a hearing before a federal immigration judge and begins the removal process.
When the defendants were interviewed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) during the process of obtaining U.S. permanent residence status, agents began to suspect the fraudulent marriages and referred the matter for criminal investigation.
The Asantes had been married to each other in Ghana in 1999. They entered the United States legally in 2002, and dissolved their marriage in 2004.
"It is disturbing that anyone would defraud the very system in which they work" said Brian M. Moskowitz, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Michigan and Ohio. "Immigration attorneys hold positions of public trust and are critical to the workings of our nation's immigration system. Based on this felony conviction, both subjects are now amenable to removal proceedings."
U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the investigation by ICE agents and Assistant U.S. Attorney Salvador A. Dominguez, who prosecuted the case.

Dating Schemes, Marriage Fraud in Ukraine

United States citizens should be alert to attempts at fraud by persons claiming to live in Ukraine who offer goods for sale or profess friendship, romantic interest, and /or marriage intentions over the Internet. Neither the Embassy nor the Department of State is in a position to help recover lost money or property in such cases.

Purchasing goods via the Internet: U.S. citizens should exercise extreme caution when conducting on-line transactions with parties in Ukraine. The Embassy receives frequent reports from Americans who have transferred funds to Ukraine for the purchase via on-line auctions of goods that never arrive. Likewise, the Embassy also receives reports of non-payment for items shipped to addresses in Ukraine. When considering such transactions, exercise due diligence.

Dating Schemes and Marriage Fraud: The most frequent reports of scams the Embassy and the Department of State receive relate to on-line dating and marriage services. Correspondents who quickly move to professions of romantic interest or discussion of intimate matters could very well be scammers. The anonymity of the Internet means that the U.S. citizen cannot be sure of the real name, age, marital status, nationality, or even gender of the correspondent. In many cases, the correspondent turns out to be a fictitious persona created only to lure the U.S. citizen into sending money.

Typically, once a connection is made, the correspondent asks the U.S. citizen to send money or credit card information for living expenses, travel expenses, or "visa costs." Sometimes, the correspondent notifies the American citizen that a close family member is ill and begins to request monetary assistance. In other instances, the scammer cites the need to pay for travel expenses and “necessary travel documents” or expresses the need for funds to settle a property or other legal dispute in order to leave Ukraine.

A request for funds almost always marks a fraudulent correspondent. American citizens who fall prey to these scams have reported suffering emotional damage as well as losing thousands of dollars. U.S. citizens are cautioned against sending any money to persons they have not actually met. If they do choose to send money, they can take several precautions.

Second Major Boss in Visa Fraud Conspiracy Sentenced to 78 Months

For Immediate Release
September 10, 2009 United States Attorney's Office
Eastern District of Virginia
Contact: (757) 441-6331

Second Major Boss in Visa Fraud Conspiracy Sentenced to 78 Months

NORFOLK, VA—Federal and local authorities announced today that Vahe Harutyunyan, age 35, of Armenia, was sentenced in Norfolk federal court to 78 months in prison for his role in a wide-spread visa fraud conspiracy in Hampton Roads. Harutyunyan is the second major boss sentenced for his role in this conspiracy, Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia announced after Harutyunyan was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark S. Davis. Viktor Krus was previously sentenced to 87 months in prison on July 17, 2009. Since 2001, Harutyunyan fraudulently obtained foreign labor visas and defrauded the government of $6.8 million in payroll taxes. He previously pled guilty to committing visa fraud, tax fraud, and money laundering on March 31, 2009.

Additional law enforcement authorities making the announcement today include James Dinkins, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Office of Investigations in Washington, D.C.; C. Andre Martin, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s Washington, D.C., Field Office; John W. Schilling, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, Washington, D.C. Field Office; Robert L. Panella, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor; James H. Freis, Jr., Director, U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; Keith Fixel, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Charlotte Division; Alex J. Turner, Special Agent in Charge, FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Samuel G. Worth, Special Agent in Charge, Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Norfolk Field Office; and A.M. Jacocks, Chief of Police, Virginia Beach Police Department.

According to court documents, since March 2001, Harutyunyan and his co-conspirators carried out a conspiracy involving visa and asylum fraud, marriage fraud, making fraudulent statements under oath, and filing fraudulent documents to obtain foreign labor visas for hundreds of alien employees. Some visa petitions were submitted seeking to bring in substantially more alien workers than what client hotels or businesses had contracted for or needed, and that most of the alien workers brought in through the fraudulent scheme were contracted out to hotels or businesses other than those listed on their visa and were working in states other than Virginia. As cited in the indictment, the aliens were encouraged or induced to enter or reside in the United States and transported and shielded from detection for commercial advantage and private financial gain.

After years of investigation, the U.S. Attorney approved a dedicated task force in August 2007 with the mission of dismantling this criminal organization. The task force investigating this case included ICE; the Internal Revenue Service; the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security; the U.S. Department of Labor; U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; and the Virginia Beach Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph DePadilla and Stephen Haynie prosecuted the case for the United States.

Former Virginia Beach Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Marriage Fraud Conspiracy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 2, 2009
Peter Carr
Further Information Contact:
Public Information Officer
Deanna Warren
Phone (703) 842-4050 Fax: (703) 299-2584
(757) 441-6331
Email: usavae.press@usdoj.gov
Web Address: www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae

Former Virginia Beach Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Marriage Fraud Conspiracy

(Norfolk, Va) - Federal and local authorities announced today that former Virginia Beach Police officer Andrey Savelyev, 40, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and making statements with regard to immigration fraud. Savelyev faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when he is sentenced on March 1, 2010, by United States District Judge Robert G. Doumar.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; A.J. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the Norfolk Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; A.M. Jacocks, Chief of Police for the Virginia Beach Police Department; Thomas Betro, Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS); J. Michael Netherland, Resident Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Office of Investigations in Norfolk; and Frank Klepadlow, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation’s Norfolk Field Office; all joined in the announcement.

“Our office has zero tolerance for law enforcement officers who abuse their authority,” said U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride. “We appreciate the Virginia Beach Police Department for working closely with us in investigating and prosecuting this case.”

According to court records, Savelyev admitted he became aware that a female Russian national had entered into a fraudulent marriage with a Navy enlisted man in exchange for $6,000 and that the enlisted man later wished to obtain a divorce from the Russian female. Savelyev was contacted by the Russian woman’s friends and, as a result, Savelyev, while on duty, drove to the enlisted man’s home, showed his badge, and threatened that if the enlisted man did not uphold his part of the conspiracy, then Savelyev would arrest him for assaulting a friend of the Russian female. The Navy enlisted man remained in the fraudulent marriage and was later convicted of federal immigration charges.

Savelyev further admitted he exceeded his authorized access of the Virginia Beach Police Department’s computer database in an effort to obtain confidential information about the Navy enlisted man. In May and June 2009, an FBI agent questioned Savelyev about his knowledge of marriage fraud between aliens and Navy personnel in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Savelyev admitted he lied when he denied during those interviews any knowledge of the Russian women and the Navy enlisted man whom he allegedly confronted and threatened to arrest.

This case was investigated by the Norfolk Field Office of the FBI and the Virginia Beach Police Department, which cooperated fully with federal investigators since the alleged activities came to light in August 2007. The NCIS, ICE and IRS also assisted in investigating this matter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Haynie and Joseph DePadilla.